The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-01-14

"IVere you too i'll the day Of the fghtY'
"That is sufficient, j" said the elder man with
look of scorn that presently changed into
one of deeply wounded pride. Henry, I
know too well your disposition to shirk the
unpleasant duties of life to be much surprised
that when tried by this test, you were found
wanting. But this wounds me deeply. Peo-
pie in Sardis think my disposition hard and
exacting; they think care for little except
to get all that is due me. But no man here
can say that in all his long life Robert Glen
shirked or evaded single duty that he owed
to the community or his fellow men, no mat
ter how dangerous or disagreeable that duty
might be. To have you fail in this respect
and to take and maintain your place in thd
front rank with other men is terrible blow
to my pride"
"Oh, Harry, is that you?" said his mother,
coming into the room at that moment and
throwing herself into her sons arms. II was
lying down when heard your voice, and
dressed and hurried down as quickly as pos
sible. am SO glad that you have come home
all safe and well. know that you'll contra
dict, for your poor mothers sake, all these
horrible stories that are worrying her almost
to DEATH"
UNFORTUNATELY he has just admitted that
those stories are substantially true" said the
father CURLY.
"Iwon't believe it, sobbed his mother, until
he tells me SO himself. You didn't, did you,
back out of fight, and let that Bob Bennett,
whose mother used to be my sewing girl, and
whom supported for months after he was
born, and his father died with the cholera and
left her nothing, by giving her work and pay
ing her cash. and who is now putting on all
sorts of airs because everybody's congratu-
lating her on having such a wonderful son,
and nobody's congratulating me at all, and
sometimes 1 almost wish was dead"
Clearness of statement was never one of
Mrs. Glens salient characteristics. Nor did
deep emotion help her in this regard Still it
was only too evident that the fountains of her
being were moved by having another
woman's son exalted over her own. Her ma
ternal pride and social prestige were both
quivering under the blow.
Harry met this with q flank movement
you both seem decidedly disappointed
that did not get myself wounded or killed."
he said.
"That's an unmanly whimper," said his
father, contemptuously.
"Why, Harry, Bob Bennett didn't get either
killed or wounded" said his mother with that
defective ratiocination which it is pretty
womans privilege to indulge in at her own
sweet will.
Harry withdrew from the Notifying con-
ference under the plea Of the necessity of 60
ing to his room to remove the Crime of
travel
He was smarting with rage and humilia-
ton. His panoply of conceit was pierced for
the first time since tho completion of his col
70 int
being superior, in his own esteem, to the acct |
dents and conditions that the mass of inferior
mortals are subject to- Yet he found reasons |
to account for his parents detection to the
ranks of his enemies
ats no new thing" he said, while carefully |
dressing for call upon Rachel in the even
ing, "for father to be harsh and unjust to me,
and mother has one Of her nervous spells. |
when everything goes wrong with her,"
anyhow" he continued, "thercs Ned
Burnleigh who understands me and will do
me justice, and he amounts to more than all
of Sardis-except Rachel, who loves me and
will always believe that what do is right"
He sat down ut his desk and wrote a long
letter to Ned, inveighing bitterly against the
stupidity and malice Of people living in small
villages, and informing him of his intention
TO remove to Cincinnati as soon as an opening
could be found for him there, which he
begged Ned to busy himself in discovering.
Attired in his most becoming garb, and neg
Letting nothing that could enhance his per-
sonal appearance, he walked slowly up tho
hill in the evening to Rachel Bonds house.
The shrinkage which his self-suficiency had
suffered had left room for q wonderful ex.
pansion of his affection for Rachel, whose
ove and loyalty were now essential to him.
70 compensate for the falling away of others.
The question Of whether he should break
With her was now one the answering Of which
,ould be postponed indefinitely. There was
10 reason why he should not enjoy the sweet
privileges of an affianced lover during his
'tay at Sardis. What would happen after